


Hand in Gauntlet

by TheHeroRosalyn



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Anxiety Attacks, Canon Universe, Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd is a Mess, Eventual Romance, F/M, Fire Emblem: Three Houses Blue Lions Route Spoilers, Fluff, Let Dimitri Sleep, Mostly Canon Compliant, Nightmares, POV Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd, Pre-Timeskip | Academy Phase (Fire Emblem: Three Houses), Slow Burn, dimileth
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-24
Updated: 2021-03-14
Packaged: 2021-03-17 05:48:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 20,992
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28969326
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheHeroRosalyn/pseuds/TheHeroRosalyn
Summary: When Dimitri's nightmares and lack of sleep start affecting his studies, Byleth decides to help him get the rest he needs. Gradually, they realize that their greatest battles lie not on the field, but in the darkest recesses of their hearts.A mostly canon compliant retelling of the Azure Moon route.
Relationships: Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd/My Unit | Byleth
Comments: 64
Kudos: 121





	1. Chapter 1

A small gust of air drifted into the library, flipping the pages of Dimitri’s book back to the start.

The prince sighed as he looked up from the text. It was well past midnight, and most of the monastery had gone to bed hours ago. The library was dead quiet, save only Dimitri leafing through the various books he had pulled from the shelves. Arundel. Flayn’s disappearance. There was something that didn’t sit right with him. But no matter how much he searched, he couldn’t find the answers he was looking for. What was he missing? What was the string that tied this all together?

The answers alluded him, and now it seemed the books themselves were working against him. Where had that draft come from anyways?

Someone cleared their throat behind him, and Dimitri froze.

Gingerly, he turned around to find Byleth standing tall with her arms crossed. Though her stance was menacing, her expression was impassive as usual.

“Professor,” Dimitri stuttered out in greeting and immediately slammed his book closed. He awkwardly stood up from his seat, shoving the book behind him in hopes of hiding its cover. “I didn’t hear you come in.”

How had she managed to sneak in here like that? Besides the small gust of air, Dimitri hadn’t noticed a thing – no footsteps, no creaking of the old wooden floor. Yet here she was, standing before him.

“You’re up awfully late,” she replied flatly. “Again.”

Unsure how to react, Dimitri smiled nervously. “I suppose I have had some trouble sleeping of late.”

“So I’ve noticed.”

Byleth hadn’t moved a muscle this entire time, nor had she broken eye contact. Dimitri swallowed. She was right, of course. She and Dedue had caught him here a few nights back. Perhaps he should have waited a little longer before coming back to the library so late at night.

“Lack of sleep effects your training, you know,” Byleth continued. “You’ve been sluggish. And your reflexes are dulling. Without proper rest, you’ll become useless on the battlefield.”

Dimitri placed a hand over his chest and bowed. “I’m very sorry. You are right. I will return to my room at once.”

He picked up his books and placed them back on the shelf. Though Byleth slowly lowered her arms, she didn’t move from her spot. Once the books were put away, the prince nodded to the professor and walked towards the exit.

“Dimitri,” Byleth called out.

He paused, and turned back around. “Yes Professor?”

For just a brief moment, Byleth’s emotionless face dropped and Dimitri could see a flicker of worry in her eyes. A month ago, he would have thought such a look impossible. She had lived up to her Ashen Demon moniker well. The emotionless mercenary who could cut through her enemies without a flinch or stutter – it was a sight to behold in battle. However, she seemed to be opening up over time. There were moments, however brief, where a small expression would finally pass over her face, as if her emotions were slowly awakening. A stern glare when she caught Sylvain goofing off in class. A small smile when Annette happily bounced up and down after casting a new spell correctly. And now, a worried frown as she looked at her house leader in the middle of the night.

However, the look faded from her face as quickly as it had appeared, and she stared at him with impassive eyes once more. “Please don’t overexert yourself.”

Dimitri smiled, but the countenance did not reach his eyes. “Of course. Good night, Professor.”

* * *

Unfortunately, saying he was going to sleep and actually going to sleep were two entirely different tasks. Dimitri did head back to his room as promised, but he spent the next several hours tossing and turning in bed. When he did finally manage to sleep, voices and faces of those long passed haunted him, and he jolted awake.

After his third bout of waking, Dimitri reluctantly sat up. He held his head in his hands as he took deep breaths to tame his heart rate. This is exactly why he had been avoiding sleep to begin with. As painful as staying up so late could be, at least he could distract himself with reading or studying. But when he laid his head down and his mind was left to its own devices, he couldn’t escape the torment.

His father. His stepmother. Glenn. Those that died on that fateful day in Duscur stayed with him, whispering, mocking, calling for him. For revenge. For salvation. For blood. For deliverance.

“I know, I know,” he muttered aloud in his empty room, clutching his hair as he sunk his head further into his hands. “I know.”

The sun was only just beginning to rise over the horizon, and the light struggled to make it past his curtains. There was no use trying to fall back asleep at this point. He might as well get up. Taking one last deep breath, Dimitri sat up straight. Pain emanated from his temples and across his forehead as he stood up, but he was used to fighting past it.

Perhaps he would head to the training grounds for some practice before class. Anything to escape the voices a little longer.

* * *

Byleth’s words from the night before seared into Dimitri’s mind. She was right, of course. She was always right.

He could feel how much his reflexes lagged as Felix knocked him off his feet in combat practice. Though her face didn’t indicate such, Dimitri could feel the disappointment radiating from the professor as she watched.

But what was he to do? Sleep alluded him, and lying in bed only made him more anxious. As the sun set and the monastery slowly retired for the night, Dimitri found himself pacing back and forth in his bedroom. He couldn’t sit still. But he also couldn’t return to the library. Not after getting caught there twice by the professor. There was a chance she might be waiting around in the event he showed up again. Perhaps, then, it would make sense to visit the opposite side of the monastery. A walk through the greenhouse sounded nice. The smell of nature might calm his racing mind enough to let him relax, even if just a little.

When the sky finally grew dark, Dimitri left his room. He made his way down the dormitory hall, past the doors of his fellow students as they buckled into their studies or readied themselves for bed. The hall itself was empty, save for the stray cat or two that stretched themselves out for a good rest. Dimitri tried to walk as quietly as possible while still appearing to move with purpose. Not that the cats would question where he was going and why, but he nevertheless felt unnerved.

The greenhouse was a short walk from the dormitory, and surprisingly unlocked. That should have been Dimitri’s first sign to leave, but the exhausted prince didn’t think much of it as he let himself in. He inhaled deeply. The scent of the greenhouse was overly sweet with flowers, but nonetheless refreshing. He could see why Dedue spent so much of his time in here. If he was careful, he could make a night walk through the greenhouse a part of his routine-

Dimitri stopped mid stride as he turned the corner and found Byleth packing soil around a flower.

Of course. If he had stopped to think about it, he would have remembered the professor’s love of gardening. The greenhouse was never a safe option to hide. He really was becoming useless if he couldn’t even think through such basic scenarios as this. The prince started to turn as quietly as he could, hoping to not draw any attention to himself as he slipped out.

“Dimitri.”

Crap.

Dimitri turned back around, trying to hide any signs of guilt from his face as best he could. He watched as Byleth stood up and wiped the dirt from her hands on the cuff of her shorts before walking over to him.

“You’re gardening awfully late, Professor,” Dimitri greeted with a nervous smile.

“It wasn’t getting enough sunlight,” she responded, looking back at the flower she had just finished planting. It wasn’t quite a reply to what he had said, but Dimitri let her continue. “I kept checking on it, but it wasn’t growing quite right. The more I thought about it, the more it worried me, and I ended up coming back tonight to move it.”

“But why do this in the dark?” the prince asked. “How can you tell it will get enough sunlight now?”

Instead of answering, Byleth looked up to the glass ceiling. Dimitri followed her gaze. The sky was clear that night, and a nearly full moon shined brightly down on them. As the prince slowly lowered his eyes back to the flower, he realized it sat in a perfect patch of moonlight.

“You’re out late again,” Byleth noted after a moment of silence.

Her words drew Dimitri’s attention back to her. She was staring at him again with those piercing eyes that made him forget she was a half foot shorter than himself.

“I am. I’m sorry, Professor. I’m not great at sitting still,” he sighed.

“Felix bested you rather quickly today.”

Dimitri reluctantly nodded. “I was too slow.”

Byleth finally tore her judging eyes away from him, looking back at her flower. “It doesn’t affect just you, you know. If you trip on the battlefield, your allies also suffer.”

The prince didn’t respond. What could he say? Apologize for his constant mistakes? Admit to the nightmares that had been keeping him up for four years now? Would any of that even satisfy what she was asking of him?

Dimitri watched as the professor walked back over to where he had found her. She picked up her spade and brushed off some of the soil from its blade. When she looked back at him, her face caught some of the moonlight, and once again Dimitri caught a glance of that worried look she had given him the night prior. 

“You care about your classmates, right?” she asked.

Dimitri replied immediately, “Of course I do.”

“And would you say you care about me?”

At that moment, the prince was thankful that it was the professor in the moonlight and not himself. He could feel his cheeks burning as he did his best to suppress the choking sounds trying to escape his throat. Did the professor not realize the gravity of the question she was asking? It was so hard to tell when she stared back at him so earnestly.

“Of course, Professor,” he finally answered. “The Blue Lions would be nowhere without your guidance both in class and on the battlefield.”

Byleth slowly walked back to his side. “Then please return to your room. I’ll follow you out so I can lock up.”

Dimitri nodded and begrudgingly headed out of the greenhouse.

* * *

And here he was again, back in his room. Dimitri started to pace as he had earlier that evening. What was he to do? It looked as if Byleth was heading back to her own room when they parted ways, but was it even worth trying to leave again? And attempting to sleep would only end in him tossing and turning as he usually did. Maybe he could review the tactics covered in class today.

He barely got the chance to sit down and open his notes before hearing a small knock at the door.

Curious. Who would be looking for him so late? Was there some sort of emergency? But then why was the hall so silent?

He wasn’t going to get any answers by sitting and pondering over the situation. Standing back up, Dimitri walked over to the door and cautiously opened it. Byleth stood on the other side.

“Professor?” the prince asked quizzically.

“May I come in?”

This night kept growing stranger. “Yes, come in,” Dimitri beckoned, opening the door wider and stepping to the side to allow Byleth enough room to enter.

He quickly shut the door behind her and she took a look around. It felt almost surreal having her in his quarters like this. Watching her carefully take in her surroundings made him feel bashful about his tidiness. He did try to keep his things as orderly as possibly, but sometimes- wait no. That was beside the point. What was she even doing here in the first place?

“Were you worried I would wander off again after sending me back?” the prince chuckled anxiously. “I came to my room, just as you asked.”

Byleth shook her head as she turned to him. “You said you’re having trouble sleeping. I’m here to help you sleep.”


	2. Chapter 2

_“Were you worried I would wander off again after sending me back?” the prince chuckled anxiously. “I came to my room, just as you asked.”_

_Byleth shook her head as she turned to him. “You said you’re having trouble sleeping. I’m here to help you sleep.”_

If Dimitri wasn’t already leaning against his door, he was sure he would have stumbled backwards.

“I beg your pardon?” he asked softly.

Was this a test of some sort? Was she messing with him? She had gotten rather good at delivering jokes completely deadpan. While she used to leave the receiver completely guessing, over time she started to purse her lips into the tiniest smirk before admitting she was joking.

But the longer he waited for that tell, the more he realized it wasn’t coming.

Byleth turned away, walking towards Dimitri’s desk as she spoke. “I was talking to Jeralt earlier.”

Hearing the professor refer to her father by name was always a bit jarring, but it was clear from the day Dimitri met them that Jeralt and Byleth did not follow any typical family structure. Nor did Jeralt seem to instill any lessons of propriety into his daughter, as she seemed perfectly content letting herself into her student’s room at such a precarious hour, but that was a whole other matter.

She continued as her hand drifted over the back of his chair, “He reminded me. When I was young, we would share a bed sometimes. That got a little harder to do as I got older, but he always said there was magic in sleeping beside someone you care about. Helps you fall asleep faster, and chases away nightmares.”

Dimitri waited for an explanation on where this was going exactly, but Byleth seemed to be done talking as she stared back at him expectantly. The two stood in silence, waiting for the other to proceed.

Surely she wasn’t suggesting what he thought she was suggesting, right? There had to be another explanation. Any other explanation. Any at all.

“Dimitri,” Byleth stated, bringing the prince back from his thoughts that were dangerously close to spiraling out of control. “You said you cared about me, right? In the greenhouse?”

“I…did,” the prince managed to stutter out. “But Professor-”

“Good.”

Before Dimitri could finish his rebuttal, Byleth effortlessly hoisted up Dimitri’s desk chair, walking to the other side of the room where she carefully placed it beside his bed. After adjusting its position slightly, she sat down, placing her hands in her lap before looking back up at him.

“Professor?”

This whole situation was moving so quickly, Dimitri couldn’t find any other words to express his absolute confusion.

“I can turn around if you need a moment to change,” she replied.

Goddess have mercy, she was completely serious. Dimitri only then realized that he was still gripping the door handle behind him. The impulse to bolt out of the room was strong. Just one quick turn of the knob, and he could be out of this situation before Byleth had a chance to react.

No, he couldn’t do that. He would make for a poor king if he ran away at the slightest discomfort. He would have to face her like a gentleman.  
  
“Professor,” Dimitri started, trying to find the right words. “I appreciate what you are trying to do here, but I am afraid I must decline.”

Byleth’s eyebrows furrowed. “What do you mean?”

“I am sure you loved and appreciated having your father beside you when you had nightmares, but I am not a child in need of a parent’s help,” Dimitri insisted.

Byleth shook her head. “I’ve never had nightmares. Jeralt used to get them, though. He said sharing a bed with Sitri always made him feel better, but sleeping next to me helped too. As long as you care for the other person.”

Jeralt…had nightmares? And cuddled his daughter to get over them? Dimitri wasn’t sure if he was more shocked to find that out, or that Byleth had shared such intimate information so readily. There were a thousand questions going through his mind right now, but he needed to focus on the situation at hand.

“What would the other students think when they find out?” Dimitri asked, trying a different tactic.

“I wasn’t planning on telling anyone,” Byleth shrugged.

“But they could see you come in here.”

“No one saw me tonight.”

“What about Seteth?” Dimitri continued, his voice growing more insistent. “Or Lady Rhea? Surely they would not-”

“Dimitri.”

The prince paused, nearly panting. He was talking so fast that he might have forgotten to breathe. Yet Byleth sat in his chair and looked up at him with that unreadable face of hers, as composed as ever.

“When you’re making a call in the midst of battle, what should you always calculate?” she asked.

The absolute whiplash of this conversation was starting to give him a headache, but Dimitri nevertheless thought over the question. “Risk versus reward.”

“Exactly,” Byleth nodded approvingly. “And I’ve done the same here. I calculated the risk of someone seeing me in here late at night versus the reward of you finally getting the rest you need, and I determined that your sleep is more important. I will deal with the consequences should they arise. I want you to focus on getting some shut eye.”

Dimitri’s shoulders sagged. When she put it that way, it was hard to continue spouting excuses. Besides, no matter how much he hated to admit it, he did need to sleep eventually. Maybe Jeralt was right; maybe having someone beside him when he slept would help. Byleth did seem awfully sure of herself.

After thinking it over, Dimitri reluctantly let go of the door handle and walked a few steps into the room. The smallest smile curled at the corner of Byleth’s lips.

“I will need that moment to change, then,” the prince mumbled awkwardly.

Byleth nodded, standing up from the chair and walking back over to his desk. Dimitri watched as she looked up at his bookshelf. Her fingers glided gracefully over the titles before pausing on one, which she proceeded to take off of the shelf and flip into. It was the most up to date history of the Adrestian Empire that Dimitri could find in the library, and the only book he picked up in his investigation that he was technically allowed to look at as a student.

Sighing, the prince sat down on his bed. He started with taking off his gauntlets and boots, nervously looking up to make sure Byleth was still turned away before continuing. True to her word, she was still facing the wall with her nose deep in the book she had grabbed. His face felt positively on fire as he stood up to start removing the rest of his uniform. To be so close to the professor while he changed – Seteth would surely have a heart attack if he happened to wander in at this exact moment. Byleth would probably look at him curiously and ask why he was so pale, and Seteth would scream at her until the entire monastery woke up. Dimitri would have laughed at the thought if he wasn’t so nervous right now.

When he was sufficiently clothed in a simple shirt and light trousers, Dimitri turned back around to the professor. “I am…finished,” he announced unceremoniously.

Byleth nodded, closing the book and placing it back neatly where she found it. She turned back to him, taking a moment to look him over. Dimitri tried his best not to fidget under her scrutiny.

“I can get the candles if you want to get in bed,” she suggested, seemingly satisfied with…whatever it was she saw.

“No, that is quite alright, I can get them,” Dimitri insisted.

Byleth nodded again and walked back over to the chair to sit down. The prince could still feel her eyes on him as he blew out the candles at his desk, nightstand, and against the back wall. Was there something wrong with his choice of bedwear? Honestly, he found nights at the monastery a little warm compared to his home back North in Faerghus, but he would die of embarrassment if he slept without a shirt in front of the professor. At least he had a moment of reprieve as he blew out the last candle, letting the darkness take over his room.

He carefully walked back to his bed, making sure not to bump into the chair Byleth sat in on the way. Neither said anything as he crawled in under the covers, adjusting himself until he was comfortably lying on his back.

Right. Well. Time to fall asleep. With the professor sitting over him. As one does.

“You left the curtains open,” Byleth noted, breaking the silence. “Did you want them closed?”

Dimitri glanced over to the back wall. His eyes were adjusting to the dark now. While the moon wasn’t as bright as it had been in the greenhouse, some light was trickling through the windows. He usually preferred the room as dark as possible when he went to sleep, but it didn’t feel right making the professor sit here in the pitch-black.

“No, it is fine the way it is, but thank you,” the prince replied.

Byleth didn’t say anything else. Dimitri tried to relax in the stillness, but each passing moment only made him feel more uneasy.

“Professor?” he asked when he couldn’t take the quiet anymore. “How long do you plan to sit there, exactly?”

She took some time to think before answering. “I’m not sure. I figured I would just see how it goes.”

Dimitri couldn’t help but chuckle, though it was probably more out of anxiety than amusement. “Surely you do not plan to sit there the whole night. If you end up not sleeping because of me, then we really have not solved anything.”

“I’ve slept in more uncomfortable places before,” Byleth shrugged.

“Wait, you plan to sleep in the chair?” Dimitri exclaimed.

“Like I said, I’ll see how it goes.”

That didn’t sit well with Dimitri, but he was already so far into this madness that there was no backing out now. So, he let it be and tried to relax once more. He closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths. When the breathing didn’t make him feel any better, he opened one eye and peered over at Byleth, who was staring right back.

“Do you need me to look elsewhere?” she asked.

Dimitri sighed. “Professor, I do not believe this is going to work. Even if you do look elsewhere, just knowing you are there is a little…distracting.”

Granted, being distracted by the professor instead of his own tormenting thoughts was still a step up from most nights. But if he wasn’t going to be able to sleep either way, there was no point in taking up her time.

“I suppose this is a little different than my nights with Jeralt,” Byleth conceded. “We’re missing…”

Instead of finishing her thought, she started to remove her arm guards. Dimitri watched as she carefully laid them on the ground next to her. Was she always so careful with her gear? She did insist her students takes good care of their weapons, so it made sense that would extend to their gear as well. Still. He never expected to see her so…gentle.

“Lay out your hand,” she instructed.

Dimitri did as he was told, laying his hand next to himself above the sheets. Byleth shifted her chair forward a bit before tenderly laying her arm on his and interlacing their fingers.

“Professor?” Dimitri stammered out, his voice cracking.

“Physical contact,” Byleth concluded. “I wasn’t sure if that part was important or not. Is this okay?”

The prince once again didn’t know how to answer. Ethically? He probably shouldn’t, _definitely shouldn’t_ , be holding his professor’s hand. Emotionally- no. He didn’t even want to follow that line of thought right now. Physically, he was suddenly much warmer than before. Had her hand always been this small? And surprisingly soft, despite the callouses. Perhaps she took just as good care of her hands as she did her gear and weapons.

When focusing on the feeling of her hand in his, Byleth’s presence started to feel less distracting and more soothing. Dimitri closed his eyes, and found he wasn’t plagued with memories of the past or taunted with voices of the dead. He just felt exhausted. And sleep felt far less elusive than before.

“Yes, I believe it is,” he replied.

“Good.”

The two fell into silence again, but this time Dimitri didn’t feel the need to fill it. Instead, he lightly squeezed the professor’s hand and let unconsciousness drift over him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That night, Dimitri learned his love language was physical touch.
> 
> (I realize the dorm room windows don’t actually have curtains. Just humor me.)
> 
> Anyways, earlier today I posted on my tumblr my head canon about why Byleth refers to her father as Jeralt. You can check that out [here](https://theherorosalyn.tumblr.com/post/641850312195522560/byleth-calling-jeralt-by-name) if you are interested. Or come say hi.


	3. Chapter 3

Dimitri awoke to the sound of knocking.

“Your Highness? Are you in there?”

The prince slowly blinked his eyes open, but the room was bright and he inevitably scrunched them closed again. He didn’t remember falling asleep. Did he even remember going to bed in the first place? He vaguely recalled seeing the professor again last night. They had met in the greenhouse. They talked, then he went back to his room, and later on there was a knock at the door…

His eyes shot open.

The professor had been in his room last night. She had insisted on staying by his side while he slept, and went so far as to hold his hand. Dimitri sat up and looked around. While his desk chair remained by the side of his bed, the professor was nowhere to be found. But the chair was proof, right? That he hadn’t made up the events in a dream?

But if the professor’s visit was real, had he dreamed at all last night? He tried to recall, but to no avail. No wailing voices. No piercing eyes. No stench of death. Just the feeling of Byleth’s surprisingly tender hand in his as he fell asleep. Had it worked then? Had her presence truly scared away the nightmares?

Another knock at the door. “Your Highness?”

“I am here, one moment,” Dimitri called out, finally removing the covers and stepping out of bed. He quickly picked up his chair and placed it back at his desk before unlocking and opening the door.

Dedue stood outside, a tray of food balanced in his hands. He looked relieved to see the prince.

“You never showed up to breakfast this morning,” he stated, pushing past pleasantries and getting straight to the point. “And you weren’t on the training grounds. It’s unusual to find you sleeping in this late.”

“My apologies,” Dimitri replied guiltily. “I suppose I needed the extra rest. Would you like to come in?”

Dedue shook his head. “That won’t be necessary. I merely wanted to deliver you some breakfast since class is starting soon.”

He held out the tray, which Dimitri gratefully accepted.

“I will see you in class, then. If you’ll excuse me.”

“Thank you, Dedue,” Dimitri smiled. “I will get ready promptly.”

Dedue nodded and left. Dimitri carefully pushed the door closed with his foot and carried the tray over to his desk.

He had slept so well that he probably would have slept through class if Dedue hadn’t come to fetch him. Had that ever happened before? He couldn’t help but chuckle a bit as he ran a hand through his hair.

Byleth had been such a mysterious presence since her arrival, but this was surely the most perplexing side of her yet. How intriguing.

* * *

The events of last night stayed on Dimitri’s mind for most of the day. There were so many details that didn’t add up. For one, his door was locked when Dedue woke him up. If the professor had truly been in his room that night, then how was that possible? He was fairly certain staff didn’t have keys to their students’ rooms. Yet the chair had undeniably been beside his bed when he awoke. And the curtains were open.

Byleth showed no indication of anything being off or unusual, either. She didn’t avoid him when he asked questions, nor give him any more attention than the other students in the classroom. She also didn’t show any signs of not sleeping last night – if anything, she seemed especially alert, catching poor Ashe with a note Sylvain had pushed him into passing along to Ingrid. Byleth didn’t even break her stride as she picked up the note from his desk and carried on, leaving Ashe red in the face as he stared down at his desk. Some of the class snickered, and Dimitri swore he saw a brief smirk twitch at the corner of the professor’s mouth.

Regardless, while Dimitri wasn’t a hundred percent, he was definitely more rested than he had been all month. He had forgotten what it felt like to truly engage with his classmates over a meal, or partake in some friendly competition during combat practice. It almost made him feel human.

When night fell, Dimitri once again found himself anxiously pacing his room. He was already in his nightwear, having changed immediately upon getting back from dinner. Though he wasn’t sure Byleth would stop by, he wanted to avoid changing in front of her again just in case. If the first time had really happened, of course.

However, the more he paced, the more he realized he was acting hastily. The sun had only just set, and there were still plenty of students slowly making their way back to their rooms. Those on kitchen duty probably hadn’t even finished cleaning yet. So, he reluctantly sat down to study.

It was hard to focus. Was the professor going to come by? Was last night a one-time deal? Did she have other business to attend to? He still hadn’t decided if last night was real or not, so maybe-

Dimitri froze at the sound of knocking.

Something was off. It didn’t sound like it was coming from his door. Was the knock for someone else, then? But the sound was so crisp, and the stone walls of the dormitory building usually muffled sounds from further down the hall. He stood up and tentatively approached the door.

When he opened it, no one stood on the other side.

He peeked his head out into the hallway, but it too was deserted. Perhaps it really had been someone else’s visitor, and they were already inside wherever they were trying to be. Dimitri laughed at himself as he closed his door. It was stupid for him to get so worked up over this fantasy he had created. Maybe he should just call it a night. If he was lucky, he would have the same dream of the professor tonight instead of the usual-

Another round of knocking.

Dimitri froze. That was definitely not the sound of knocking on a wooden door. And it almost sounded like it was coming from behind him. But that was impossible, the wall behind him was the outer wall. Wonderful, was he starting to hallucinate knocking too? Maybe the effects of one good night’s rest was already wearing off.

He turned around and nearly jumped out of his skin when he saw Byleth’s face in the window.

When she noticed him staring, she gave a small wave, as if hanging outside a second story window was the most natural thing in the world.

Dimitri ran over to the window, quickly flipping the lock. The window wouldn’t budge. He paused, flipped the lock back, and opened the window.

“Professor?” the prince asked quizzically.

“May I come in?”

“Yes, come in,” Dimitri beckoned, opening the window wider and stepping to the side to allow Byleth enough room to enter. A sense of déjà vu washed over him.

She hopped up and deftly pulled herself through the window frame, closing and locking the window behind her before lowering herself to the floor. Dimitri noticed she was missing her usual arm guards as she dusted her shorts off.

“Professor? Did you…climb the side of the building?” Dimitri asked.

Byleth shook her head. “There were some stacked crates not too far from my door. It was an easy leap onto the wooden ledge. From there, you can walk across the length of the building if you’re careful.”

“But why didn’t you just come through the door?”

Dimitri watched as the professor walked over to his chair, picking it up and carrying it over to the exact spot he found it in this morning. After sitting down, she looked up at him.

“You were really worried about someone finding out last night,” she stated simply.

“Not enough for you to climb the building!” Dimitri insisted.

“I just said I didn’t climb the building.”

The prince sighed as he sat down on his bed. Was she purposely taking everything literally? She was so hard to read sometimes. “I appreciate your concern over my wellbeing,” he said, “But I cannot sleep comfortably knowing my professor is jumping through windows and staying up all night.”

“I actually only ended up staying a few hours,” Byleth replied. “You fell asleep fairly quickly and seemed fine. But I didn’t want to leave your door unlocked. So I checked the window, and realized it would not only be faster, but a lot easier to avoid getting caught since my room is almost directly below. Once I’m on the ground, I’m in the clear.”

“But wouldn’t walking along the second-floor windows be more suspicious than being seen in the hallway?” Dimitri asked.

“That’s why I do it when the sun is down. Then the only worry is Sylvain, but his curtains are almost always closed.”

Dimitri closed his eyes. In a roundabout way, her reasoning was sound, or at least as sound as jumping out a window could be. It didn’t make him feel better. Maybe this whole situation was a mistake. He should tell her to leave. Tell her he will manage without her, that she didn’t need to sneak in and out of windows just for him. Risk her job and her reputation for him. He wasn’t deserving of this.

“Dimitri.”

He opened his eyes and looked at her. Her face was impassive as usual.

“You seemed a lot better today,” she stated. “How did you feel?”

“I felt…rested,” Dimitri replied.

The response earned a small smile. “Would you like me to stay again?”

Maybe he was a fool. Or maybe he was so starved of affection that the smallest expression on Byleth’s face was able to do him in. Either way, the truth was inescapable.

“If you wouldn’t mind,” he finally responded.

Byleth nodded. “That’s why I came up. Would you like me to blow out the candles?”

“No, that’s quite alright, I can get them,” Dimitri said as he stood up, the feeling of déjà vu coming over him once again.

The professor nodded again and leaned back into the chair. She watched as the prince blew out the candles one by one until the room fell into darkness. Dimitri paused by the back wall, looking out the windows. It was another clear night, and the moonlight trickled in once again. He still didn’t feel right locking away the light from the professor, and left the curtains opened before crawling into bed.

After adjusting the blankets and pillows to his liking, Dimitri settled in on his back, letting his arms drape over the covers. Byleth placed her hand in his wordlessly, lightly interlocking their fingers. The prince gingerly squeezed her hand back and closed his eyes.

“Professor?” Dimitri asked. “How do you keep you keep your hands so soft after handling weapons all day?”

The prince heard a small exhale. Though he kept his eyes closed, he wondered if Byleth had a similar smirk to the one from class earlier that day.

“Pumice stone,” she replied. “You soak your hands and feet in warm water for a few minutes, then use the stone to remove the dead skin. Helps lessen the pain a bit. It’s useful when you’re on the road.”

Dimitri nodded, though didn’t respond. Byleth was full of small tidbits of information like this from her life as a mercenary. Though Hanneman and Manuela were plenty practiced in the theory of war and tactics, they lacked the first-hand experience that Byleth brought. The Blue Lion class was truly blessed to have her as their professor.

The fact that Byleth had chosen their class over the others never escaped him. What had drawn her to the Blue Lions? The students? The Kingdom? Perhaps one of these days, he would work up the courage to finally ask her.

But not tonight. His eyelids were already feeling heavy.

* * *

They were back.

The voices and faces of the past. Burnt, bloody, raspy. They surrounded him, the horizon ablaze beyond them, pushing him backwards until he slammed against a wall. Their screams started to blend in together as they cried for retribution. How dare he, the sole survivor, continue on with his life blissfully when their lives were snuffed out so prematurely? Why hadn’t he exacted revenge yet? What was taking him so long?

Dimitri’s eyes shot open.

His entire body was tensed, covered in a cold sweat. He felt out of breath. He went to sit up, but flinched when he felt resistance.

“Bad dream?”

His head jolted towards sound of the voice, finding Byleth leaning over him. Her one hand was still in his, and her other was now holding his arm. Dimitri brought his free hand up to his face, closing his eyes and taking a few deep breaths to calm the rush of adrenaline. When images of fire and blood came flashing back, his eyes snapped back open. He pulled his other hand up to his face, which Byleth reluctantly let go of.

“Your pulse sped up and you started breathing heavier,” the professor noted. “Does this happen often?”

Dimitri broke out into an anxious laughter, his trembling hands still covering his face. “I knew this idea was absurd. Of course having someone next to me would not make them go away.”

“Is this why you haven’t been sleeping well?” Byleth asked.

He didn’t respond and instead focused on steadying his breathing. When his heart finally calmed, Dimitri lowered his arms back down. This was a mistake. Now she had seen him for the pathetic fool he was. A slave to his memories, haunted by the past, barely able to function in the present. How would she think of him now? He was unfit to be an officer, let alone heir to the throne of Faerghus.

He flinched as Byleth snuck her hand back into his.

Dimitri frowned. “Professor-”

“When Jeralt had nightmares,” Byleth interrupted, “I would have him tell me about them. He always said it made him feel a little better. But if you don’t want to talk about them yet, that’s fine too.”

Yet? What did she mean, yet? How long was she planning on keep this up?

“Professor,” Dimitri tried again. When Byleth didn’t seem to interrupt, he continued, “We just proved that you sitting beside me does nothing. You should stop wasting your time and get some rest yourself.”

He tried to retrieve his hand from Byleth’s, but the professor only gripped it tighter.

“All we did was discover the core of the problem,” she responded. “That hardly seems like a waste of time to me.”

“My nightmares are none of your concern, Professor,” Dimitri continued. “You have so many, much more important responsibilities than a single student’s sleep. Flayn is missing, the Death Knight has been spotted again-”

“Dimitri.”

And there it was again. There was something about the way she said his name when he started to spiral into an anxious rant that always shut him up. Was it the way she spoke with such authority each time? Or was he so used to hearing “Your Highness” that his name was enough to make him pause? Neither of those reasons felt right, but he couldn’t quite put a finger on it.

“Do you want me to leave?” Byleth asked.

He didn’t know how to answer. He hated wasting her time like this. Having her see this embarrassing side of him. Spending her own resting time worrying over him. But…when she had tightened her hand around his just now, all he wanted to do was pull her closer. Know that someone was there. That these nightmares only existed in his head.

But did he deserve that?

When he didn’t answer, Byleth squeezed his hand once more and settled back into her chair. Dimitri stole a quick glance in her direction. Though the moonlight was starting to fade, he could just make out her looking back at him with that unreadable expression of hers.

“Try to get some sleep,” she finally said, breaking the silence. “I’ll be here if you have another bad dream.”

“Just promise me you won’t leave through the window again,” the prince replied.

“I don’t make promises I can’t keep.”

Dimitri smiled, took one last deep breath, and closed his eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Byleth might not be a super drug after all, but she's here to help. Even if it involves scaling a building or two.
> 
> This chapter is brought to you by: me always staring at the side of the dormitory while exploring the monastery and wanting to go all Assassin's Creed.


	4. Chapter 4

She was gone again the next morning.

After the initial nightmare, the prince had slept through the rest of the night. He could already feel the difference as he stretched. Despite the heavy workout yesterday, he didn’t feel nearly as sore or weary as he usually did upon waking. He had grown so accustomed to every muscle crying out in agony every time he moved that now he felt light as a feather.

The chair was still by his bed, just like last time, and the curtains were still open. But as Dimitri got out of bed, he noticed this time the door was unlocked. It was a relief to see she hadn’t escaped out the window, though her sly remark last night indicated that she might do it again.

At least, if there was an “again”. They hadn’t exactly discussed how long these nightly visits were going to continue, or if she was already finished after her two nights of help. The thought of nervously pacing his room once again as he waited to see if she appeared was…not ideal. He would have to find time to talk to her privately today.

After getting ready, he grabbed his notes and headed out of the dormitory. The morning air was brisk as the sun slowly began peaking over the buildings and into the sky, a sign that the warmer months were drawing to a close. Dimitri closed his eyes, taking a deep breath in through his nose. He could smell the wood fires from the kitchen drafting through the air. 

Unfortunately, he didn’t realize until he was at the food hall’s entrance that breakfast wasn’t being served yet. Dimitri looked around. The kitchen staff and the students on duty were hard at work, and some early risers were taking care of other chores around the grounds, but the surrounding courtyard was fairly empty.

It was almost serene, having this moment to himself before the hustle and bustle of the day. He wasn’t trying to escape nightmares or distract himself from the voices that crept into his head like he usually was at this hour. He was simply enjoying the morning.

Still, it felt a waste to stand around waiting for breakfast. After some thought, Dimitri opted to head to the Blue Lion’s classroom to get a small studying session in. He could hardly focus last night, so some time with his notes could only do him well. Perhaps some of his classmates were already there too. Annette always seemed like a morning bird, and he wouldn’t be surprised to see Ashe cleaning the room up as an apology for yesterday’s note passing mishap.

However, the room was still as he opened the door. The entrance was dark, and as he stepped into the shadows and closed the door behind him, Dimitri thought he might be alone. But as he looked up, he noticed the sunlight was starting to come through the window at the back of the room, silhouetting a certain professor that was scribbling away at her desk.

Was she always here at this time? Byleth always struck Dimitri as a night owl, and their recent encounters only seemed to confirm that. Hopefully she wasn’t burning the candle at both ends after insisting how important sleep was.

Well, this had come quicker than Dimitri expected. At least now he wouldn’t have to worry about trying to find a moment of reprise to pull her to the side. Too bad he had yet to figure out how to word this.

“Good morning,” Dimitri greeted. “You are here early.”

“The same could be said for you.”

Byleth finished writing before looking up. She watched as Dimitri walked further into the classroom, depositing his belongings at his seat before approaching her desk.

“I suppose I was feeling ready for the day earlier than usual.”

“I’m glad to hear that,” Byleth nodded.

The prince took one more glance at the rest of the room, assuring himself that it was empty save for the two of them before continuing in a lowered voice. “Thank you, for that.”

“Seeing you awake and alert is all the thanks I need.”

She went back to her writing. Dimitri watched her for a moment, deciding on how to phrase the next part. He would need to think quickly before anyone else showed up.

“Professor,” he started. “Are you…is this going to be a…nightly…ritual, of sorts?”

None of the words felt right. He could feel his face growing warmer with each passing second.

Byleth paused, looking back up at him. “Nightly ritual?”

She wasn’t going to make this easy on him, was she? He tried again, “That is…are you planning to…visit my quarters every night?”

Somehow that felt even worse.

Her eyes stared into his own as she thought over his question. Finally, she asked, “Would you like me to?”

The way she managed to ask that so earnestly each time was surely going to be the end of him. “I don’t want to monopolize all your time, of course,” he stuttered out quickly. “But…I cannot help but acknowledge how helpful the last few nights have been.”

The professor seemed satisfied with his answer as a small smile came to the corner of her lips. “Then we should continue. Though I’m a little unsure about tonight.” Her smile quickly faded as she looked down. “We’re already halfway through the Horsebow Moon and we still haven’t...”

As Byleth’s voice faded off, Dimitri followed her line of sight towards the papers that sat on the desk. She had been writing on a map of the monastery. Most locations were crossed out with notes of her searching methods or how it wouldn’t make sense for Flayn to be there. Others were given question marks of things she wanted to check on. In the corner of the map, she had drawn a small doodle of Flayn where she estimated the girl’s size, with a second doodle of Seteth glowering disapprovingly behind her. A cute little distraction from the grim situation.

Dimitri nodded solemnly. “We still don’t know where Flayn is…”

“I’m getting nervous,” Byleth admitted after a beat. “I’ve seen her and Seteth arguing, so at first I wondered if she had just disappeared to escape him for a bit, but she would have been back by now if that were the case.”

“But we can’t give up,” Dimitri insisted. “Not until she’s found.”

The classroom doors swung open, and they both snapped their heads towards the noise. Ingrid stood in the entrance.

“Professor! Your Highness! I just heard a scream! In Professor Jeritza’s quarters!”

* * *

The next hour was a blur. Ingrid amassed the rest of the Blue Lions as Dimitri and Byleth ran to Jeritza’s room. There they discovered Professor Manuela’s unconscious body, blood pooling around her as her finger pointed towards the giant hole in the wall. Professor Hanneman showed up moments later, and somehow amongst the chaos, he and Dimitri took on bringing Manuela to the infirmary.

It was only right that Dimitri, as house leader, assist Hanneman. Still, he felt anxious as he overheard Byleth and the other students planning to investigate where the hole in the wall lead. The Blue Lions were in good hands following Byleth’s lead, they always were. But it didn’t feel right not being at the professor’s side as they explored the unknown, and most likely dangerous, path ahead. 

He didn’t have time to ponder on it. Manuela needed immediate medical attention. He would just need to trust in his friends.

Priests were already setting up a bed in the infirmary when they arrived. Dimitri considered slipping out of the room and back to Jeritza’s once Manuela was carefully put down. While Manuela was in safe hands now, his class was who-knows-where, facing who-knows-what. But before he could so much as turn around, he was quickly put to work to grab more supplies. Though anxious, the prince agreed. He wasn’t great with magic, but he was decent enough at running around and carrying things.

By the time Manuela’s condition stabilized and Dimitri was released to go check on his class, the Blue Lions were already back in Jeritza’s room. Flayn was unconscious in Dedue’s arms, and Sylvain was holding a red-haired girl that Dimitri had never seen before. The prince nervously looked around the room, counting the heads to make sure everyone was back, before nearly collapsing in relief.

It was shortly after the other students left for the infirmary and Dimitri had a moment alone with Byleth again that he saw it – a smile. But not one of her small, momentary smiles where her lips barely curled. It was a true, genuine smile, that reached her eyes.

In that moment, the pandemonium of the morning ceased.

Even after they parted, he couldn’t get the image out of his mind. With Byleth wrapped up in reporting the morning’s events to Rhea and Seteth, the Blue Lions were given the rest of the day off to recover from the battle, as well as tomorrow morning to sleep in. The exhausted class scattered to clean up, eat, and get some rest.

But Dimitri hadn’t fought. Nor did he have the usual dreariness hanging over him. Not knowing what to do with himself, the prince spent most of the day on the training grounds trying to work off the anxious energy he suddenly had.

The thought of the professor’s smile made his chest tight. At first, the feeling was invigorating, giving his lance swings an extra boost of energy. But the more he pictured her, the more the anxiety and self-loathing reared its ugly head, and the chest pains would take on a more dreadful feeling. He could almost hear the voices creeping in from the depths of his mind, mocking him for getting distracted. In a panic, he desperately tried to think of something more pleasant, and each time his thoughts always came back to the professor’s face lighting up, starting the distressing cycle over again.

When the physical and mental exhaustion finally weighed him down, he retired to the baths before heading back to his room. He had only just changed into his nightwear when he heard a knock at the door.

Well, at least it wasn’t the window this time.

Dimitri answered the door, and once again Byleth stood on the other side. She looked exhausted, but started back at him expectantly. Like the night before, her arms bare, missing their usual arm guards.

“I thought we agreed to not do this tonight,” he said.

Byleth shrugged. “That was because we hadn’t found Flayn.”

“But you had a major battle this morning,” Dimitri frowned. “You must be exhausted.”

“Does that mean I can’t come in?” she asked.

Her face was deadpan. But the longer they stared at each other, the more his mind drifted back to her smile from earlier, and the prince could feel his chest tightening.

Dimitri sighed, then opened the door further and stepped to the side. “Please, come in.”

* * *

Dimitri lazily fluttered his eyes open.

He had slept through the night without nightmares again. That was twice now, and very possibly the only two nights since the tragedy that he had slept so soundly. Hopefully the professor and the rest of the Blue Lions were able to sleep just as well. Yesterday had been quite a day for all of them. 

He started to stretch, but paused when his hand caught on something. Slowly, he turned his head. Byleth was fast asleep in his chair, her small hand still entangled in his.

“Professor?” he asked tentatively.

She didn’t stir. Dimitri sat up carefully, unsure of whether he should let go of her hand or let the moment last a little longer. When his movement didn’t seem to wake her, the prince chuckled.

“Professor, are you always this heavy a sleeper? This feels like a safety hazard for a mercenary,” he mused aloud.

Still, this might prove troublesome. How was she supposed to leave now? There were bound to be students in the hall by this time, and she couldn’t leave through the window in broad daylight. At least morning classes were cancelled. Maybe if she waited until most everyone was at breakfast, she could slip out-

Someone knocked at the door.

Well, that certainly threw a wrench in things. Dimitri shook Byleth’s hand a bit, but the professor remained motionless. He tried shaking a little harder, but that didn’t seem to work either.

“Professor,” the prince whispered nervously, “You really need to wake up.”

Another knock.

“Your Highness?” asked a voice from the other side of the door. “Are you there?”

Parts of a second voice came through, “Do you…already left?”

“No, he’s definitely still in there,” a third, much louder voice replied. “You just need to knock harder like this.”

A third round of knocking.

“One moment,” Dimitri called out.

He pulled his hand out of Byleth’s and sat up. Her body remained limp in the chair. Desperate, he grasped her shoulders, but shaking her proved just as useless. For goddess’ sake, how could she still be asleep? Dimitri sprang out of bed and looked around in a panic. If he couldn’t wake her, then he’d have to hide her. But where? The dorm rooms weren’t created with many hiding places. The only place an unconscious Byleth could fit was…

He paused, and closed his eyes.

“Please excuse me for this, Professor,” he apologized under his breath before carefully picking her up and placing her down on the bed.

Okay, she fit on the bed. Now what? Dimitri hastily threw the covers over her, but it was still quite obvious that a body lay beneath. In a last-ditch effort, he quickly gathered up his uniform, a few books, and his notes and strewed them over the blankets. A messy bed was completely out of character for him, but at least Byleth was less obvious now.

“Everything alright, Your Highness?” one of the voices called out.

It would have to do. Dimitri ran over to the door, swinging it open to find a worried looking Ingrid, Ashe, and Sylvain standing on the other side.

“Everything is just fine,” Dimitri replied. “I apologize. I only just woke up.”

Ingrid was the first to noticeably look over at the mess that was his bed now, though Ashe quickly followed. If Sylvain saw anything, he didn’t seem to care.

Dimitri needed to move things along before anyone started asking questions. “So, what brings you all here so early?”

“Since we have the morning to ourselves, Ashe wanted to get the class together for breakfast,” Sylvain replied, elbowing the shorter boy in the ribs.

Ashe squeaked and stumbled a step away from Sylvain. “Right. Well, now that Flayn is back and safe, we can focus on the upcoming Battle of the Eagle and Lion. I thought Professor might be impressed if we take the initiative to start our battle plan.”

“That sounds like a wonderful idea,” Dimitri nodded thoughtfully. “Though…Sylvain, you’re on board with this too? I would have thought you’d want to enjoy the morning off.”

Sylvain opened his mouth to answer, but Ingrid shot him a look that gave Dimitri all the answer he needed. Sylvain reluctantly closed his mouth.

“Anyways,” Ingrid continued, “We still need to get Felix and Dedue. You can meet us down in the mess hall when you’re ready.”

“Excellent. I will see you all down there, then,” Dimitri agreed.

With the conversation concluded, the prince closed the door. He stood in place for a moment and closed his eyes, sighing as he willed his frayed nerves to calm down.

He heard shuffling behind him and turned around. Byleth seemed to have finally woken, and was blearily looking at the mess that surrounded her on the bed as she sat up. Part of his pant leg still sat on her head as she yawned.

Dimitri ran over, quickly grabbing the pants before gathering up the other items scattered across the bed. She watched him through half lidded eyes as she ran a hand through her hair.

“How did I end up in your bed?” she asked while blinking her eyes into focus.

“I moved you there,” Dimitri responded. He quickly tacked on, “But only after I had gotten out. You fell asleep in the chair.”

Byleth nodded sleepily as she processed the information. “You picked me up?”

“I’m so sorry, Professor,” the prince blurted out, his cheeks growing warm. “Normally I would have asked for your permission first, but-”

“I’m surprised that didn’t wake me,” she said, cutting off his explanation. “I guess I was more tired than I realized.”

She got up and stretched, rolling her neck in a few circles before approaching the window. Dimitri finished putting his belongings away as she peered out. Once the last book was in place, he joined her. The sun was well into the sky, and the monastery was alive and moving. Several students could be seen down below either heading towards the mess hall or talking in groups.

“Professor?” Dimitri asked. “Can we make a new rule that we do not do this on nights after a big battle?”

“That’s probably for the best.”

Dimitri heard a small chuckle, and when he turned his head, he saw Byleth break out into another big smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Byleth had to use Divine Pulse twice to escape Dimitri's room unseen. 
> 
> I have this head canon that Byleth sleeps like the dead after a long battle. Not a huge deal when she goes back to her own room, but it certainly creates a bit of a situation when she ends up falling asleep elsewhere.


	5. Chapter 5

With Flayn found, Seteth and Rhea were relieved, and their uplifted mood spread to the rest of the monastery.

Of course, there were still many problems afoot – they had all but confirmed Jeritza was the Death Knight, and now his whereabouts were unknown. There was also the mysterious Flame Emperor, who had shown up on the outskirts of a few battles, and the continuing issues with the Western Church.

And perhaps the Dimitri of a few weeks ago would have been too focused on what still needed to be solved to enjoy what they had accomplished so far. But now he found he could actually relax a little. Not so much as to join the fishing tournament that Seteth set up, though a certain professor seemed to do quite well. She wouldn’t admit it when asked, but got a certain gleam in her eye as she spoke.

As promised, Byleth had continued coming by his room at night. Some nights were better than others. Even on the worst nights, though, when he would wake up multiple times, she stayed with him. Usually, she wouldn’t say anything in those moments. She didn’t need to. The feeling of her hand in his, so warm and assuring, was enough. Each time he would catch his breath and eventually fall back asleep, and each time she would be gone in the morning.

Yes, both Dimitri and the monastery as a whole seemed to have brightened a bit. Though even the excited students of the Blue Lions class were caught off guard the following Monday morning as the professor strolled in the classroom with an extra pair of footsteps trailing behind her.

Flayn had always worn the uniform of the Officer’s Academy, but actually seeing her in the context of the classroom felt positively foreign. The class quieted down as they watched the two walk down the aisle.

“The professor and I have most excellent news!” Flayn announced when they finally reached Byleth’s desk. She placed her hands on her hips as she straightened her posture proudly.

Byleth plopped her belongings down before turning to the class. “Everyone- starting today, Flayn will be joining the Blue Lion House.”

A surprised murmur fell over the room. Ingrid raised a hesitant hand, a concerned expression on her face as she asked, “Does…Seteth know about this?”

“Seteth was part of the discussion when we came to this decision,” Byleth nodded. “He believes this is a good opportunity for Flayn to learn to better protect herself if something were to happen again.”

The assurance seemed to mollify the worried whispers, but there remained an unsure feeling in the air. If the professor noticed, however, she promptly ignored it and continued on.

“Now then. Flayn, why don’t you take a seat next to Dimitri,” Byleth instructed, pointing towards the empty chair on the prince’s left. “We can discuss how best to catch you up after class.”

Flayn frowned. “Can I introduce myself first, Professor?”

Byleth paused, looking back at the young girl. “But you’ve already met everyone.”

“This is true,” Flayn nodded, “But I would like to have the full school experience, if I may. Starting with a proper introduction.”

Byleth studied her for a moment, then nodded wordlessly as she leaned back against her desk.

Satisfied, Flayn turned towards the class. “Good day everyone!” she started cheerfully with a sweeping curtsey. “I am Flayn, and I am most excited to be here. I am well versed in white magic, but am very much looking forward to furthering my talents on the battlefield. Let us all get along!”

When she finished, she turned back toward the professor expectantly. Byleth nodded again, to which Flayn grinned and eagerly bounded over to her new seat.

The prince flashed his new classmate a polite smile as she sat down. “Welcome to the Blue Lions. Feel free to ask me any questions you might have today,” he whispered.

“Thank you so much!” the girl whispered back, beaming.

“One last announcement before we start,” Byleth said as she picked up one of the papers strewed across her desk. “In preparation for the Battle of Eagle and Lion, I would like to meet with each of you individually to talk about how you think your training is going. I’ll post the schedule for these talks after class, so take the time to start thinking this over before we meet.”

Dimitri’s face fell. Evaluations. Growing up, these were just an excuse for his tutors to yell at him about everything he was doing wrong. He was eating too much. He wasn’t eating enough. He needed to spend more time studying the languages from the annexed territories of Sreng. He needed to stop focusing so much on languages of barbaric war clans. Study more history. Focus on today’s politics. Learn to speak up more. Stop talking and listen.

Each tutor had their own opinion on what his education should look like, and it was often at odds with the previous one, thus leading to a confusing and conflicting set of rules and advice to follow. Then when those were broken, more yelling ensued. As a small child, he would run to his step mother for comfort afterward. But as he got older, he learned to put on a brave face with a polite smile, nodding along as the words went in one ear and out the other.

But Byleth wasn’t just another tutor. She was the fearless leader of the Blue Lions, with battle experience that could give the knights a run for their money. And of late, she was possibly his most trusted confidant. Not only was she the most qualified to tell the prince what he truly needed to improve on the battlefield, but she had come the closest to seeing the true Dimitri since his parents passed.

Somehow that made this evaluation even more terrifying.

“What wonderful timing!” Flayn whispered again. Dimitri quickly put on a polite smile as she turned back to him. “I was looking forward to watching you all reenact the Battle of Eagle and Lion, but now I get to participate! And I bet the professor will have the utmost useful advice. Are you excited as well?”

“Of course,” Dimitri smiled back, the lie rolling off his tongue easily. “I cannot wait to hear what she has to say.”

* * *

The uneasiness hadn’t left his system by the time night fell.

When Byleth arrived at his door that night, she smelled of the greenhouse. The draft that followed her as she entered the room filled Dimitri’s nose, and as he closed his eyes, he was transported back to that first night when their agreement had started. He could still see her hands deep in the soil, sitting under the rays of moonlight that poured in through the glass ceiling. That worried expression on her face when she asked him if he cared about her was permanently burned into his memory.

Would this evaluation with her have been easier if they had never started this? Perhaps. But this was good. He could get a true, honest look at himself, and find out exactly what he needed to improve in order to achieve his goals. This was good.

If he kept telling himself that, maybe it would become true.

“Dimitri, are you getting the candles?”

The prince shook his head, trying to focus. “Yes, my apologies.”

As Byleth sat down in her usual spot, Dimitri blew out the first candle by his desk. Even though he was now several feet from the professor, the smell of fresh soil still overtook his senses.

“How is your flower doing?” he asked as he made his way to the back of the room.

Out of the corner of his eye, Dimitri caught a brief smile as he blew out the second candle.

“Much better now,” Byleth replied. “I’ve been keeping an eye on it, but it seems to be thriving in its new spot.”

“That is wonderful to hear.”

Dimitri blew out the last candle, and darkness enveloped the room. Light wasn’t needed for this now well practiced ritual. He counted six strides from the back wall, then Byleth tucked her legs under the chair briefly to give him more room to crawl into bed. As soon as he laid on his back and adjusted the covers, Byleth’s hand slid into his and they settled in.

Over the past few nights, this small routine was all he needed to start feeling drowsy. However, his mind was still racing. What sort of things did Byleth see while he was sleeping? Did they give her insights into his ability to lead? Did he talk in his sleep? How had he never asked her if he talked in his sleep?

“You’re tense,” Byleth stated. “Something on your mind?”

He should have known she’d notice. She always noticed.

“Professor?” Dimitri asked. “How do you think my training is faring?”

He was met with silence, initially. The prince’s eyes hadn’t adjusted to the darkness just yet, so he couldn’t make out her facial expression. Granted, knowing her, it wouldn’t have helped much. He thought he had grown used to the long silences in their time together, but having finally put the question out there, the lack of response was unnerving.

“You know you’re scheduled for the end of the week, right?” Byleth asked. “This is hardly a good conversation for falling asleep.”

“I know,” Dimitri sighed. Of course her answer would be a non-answer. “I just... I know we started these…nightly…rituals because of my slovenly performance. From the lack of good rest. And I also realize it has only been a week since we started, but I feel as if I have greatly improved. And I was hoping you felt the same.”

More silence. He tried not to let his mind wander down the worst possible scenarios as he waited.

“Dimitri,” she finally stated. As she spoke, her thumb started to gently stroke his own. “This wasn’t meant to be a performance review. I only wanted to get a sense of where you think you are and what you want to do after graduation. That way we can make sure you’re on the right path. If you think these visits are helping, then that’s all that needs to be said.”

The prince let out a sigh of relief. So no evaluation. No deep dive into his psyche and what he needed to improve in order to become a proper leader of his people. No honest talk of how Byleth felt about him.

Why did he feel disappointed?

No, now wasn’t the time for that.

“So we will be discussing the future, then?” the prince asked.

“We’re not setting anything in stone,” Byleth replied. “Just what you would like to do in the future, and how we can best prepare for that now.”

Dimitri nodded. “That is easy to answer, then. When I am finally of age, I will be crowned King of Faerghus, assume the throne, and finally work to calm the tensions within the Kingdom. Firmly quell the upheaval at the Western Church, strengthen our forces at the Northern border, snuff out the bandit problems…”

And finally find those behind the Tragedy at Duscur and get his revenge. Though that part he wasn’t ready to say aloud yet.

When his words didn’t pick back up, Byleth responded, “Well yes, that is what you need to do. But what about what you want to do?”

The prince turned toward the professor. Having finally adjusted to the darkness, he could now make out her ever-stoic eyes as she studied him.

“As the crown prince, it’s hardly about what I desire,” Dimitri frowned. “I have a duty to my kingdom and my people.”

“Leading is more than just duty,” Byleth argued. “And without understanding what you want, then you’ll never-”

“Professor,” the prince cut her off curtly. “I do not have the privilege to think like that. I did not choose to be the next in line to the throne, nor did I choose to be born with my crest. Even my future marriage will most likely be a political one. I must live, breathe, and sleep to serve. For those that live now, and for those that have lost their lives.”

His words had burst out of him so quickly, even Dimitri hadn’t realized what was happening. Had he really just admonished his professor? While she was doing him a favor? If she left at this moment, he wouldn’t blame her. Maybe his childhood tutors were right after all - he really should learn to bite his tongue.

When he dared to peek back in her direction, however, her expression showed no malice. Though his own hand had tightened in apprehension, she was still gently rubbing his thumb with her own.

“That sounds lonely,” was all she said in response.

Those three words hung in the air like the final wisp of smoke from a snuffed candle. Perhaps it was lonely. That tragic day in Duscur had cemented Dimitri’s path, and it had cost him not only his family, but his closest remaining friends. Felix would barely speak to him anymore outside of calling him pathetic or a boar prince. While Ingrid would always act strong, her light had dulled since losing Glenn, and their interactions grew shorter and further apart. Even Sylvain had trouble talking to him outside of anything superficial like his ample troubles with women. Was it really them, though? Or had he pushed them out in his grief?

Yet he had accepted it all in stride. It was only a matter of time until they would all grow apart anyways – leading their own lands, living their own lives. The timeline had simply been moved up a bit because of the circumstances. They would always be connected through the politics of the Kingdom, of course, but it would never quite be the same as their childhood. That was how he had always rationalized it.

So then why did the professor’s words make his chest hurt?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry this chapter is a little slow. It's setting up for chapter 6.
> 
> I will see you all at the Battle of Eagle and Lion.


	6. Chapter 6

Dimitri closed his eyes and breathed in the damp morning air.

As the sun slowly climbed higher into the sky, the fog began to secede, revealing the extensive field ahead of them. This was the prince’s first time at Gronder Field. Though his class had discussed the layout in preparation for today, the maps paled in comparison to the real thing. True to its name as the breadbasket of Fódlan, the land was quite lush. There was a surprising amount of forestation despite this being a battlefield, and the river just ahead was incredibly clear and lively.

It was a shame Dimitri rarely got the chance to visit the other regions of Fódlan outside of Faerghus. Gronder Field, Zanado. There were so many places of historical importance that he had only seen since joining the Officer’s Academy. Perhaps he could find a reason to visit the regions more often after becoming king. 

After fixing the many internal struggles of the Kingdom, of course.

Dimitri glanced up at the cliff that Rhea, Seteth, and the knights had perched themselves on. A few noble families from the surrounding areas had come to watch the annual battle, and were also settling in behind them. He couldn’t see Byleth, though he knew that she was busy at the pre-battle war council with the other professors.

It was about time he started the war council for his class as well. Dimitri turned around to face his classmates, who caught his cue and started to huddle together in a circle. He took a few steps forward to meet them, and felt the grass squishing beneath his boots. The ground was still wet from yesterday’s rainfall. This was going to be a messy, muddy battle.

“How is everyone feeling?” Dimitri asked, straightening his posture as everyone settled in.

“Most excited!” Flayn replied immediately, her face shining as she smiled. 

“Can we skip the frivolities,” Felix huffed, crossing his arms. “If you have nothing important to say, then let us focus on the battle ahead.”

The prince gave a wistful smile. “Of course. Let us review the battle plan, then. While the main objective is to dispose of both enemy forces, there is a prize at play for the house that defeats the most units. With that in mind, we’ll be using a three-pronged attack. I will be leading those of us in the Western prong. Our focus will be the Black Eagles House. Edelgard no doubt will send a first wave of cavalry to give the rest of her troops time to make it across the battlefield.”

“That won’t be a problem. Just leave it to me and focus on Edelgard like you’re supposed to,” Felix sneered.

Felix always got snappier the more anxious he was for the fight ahead. But he was right. Edelgard’s steely, resolute gaze intimated most of the Blue Lions. Add her position as next in line to the Adrestian throne, and the class unanimously elected Dimitri to take her on during today’s battle. Dimitri was of course up to the challenge. Not only would this be a good means of showing off his training, but something felt right about having a house leader showdown on the field. 

Dimitri continued, “Very well. Annette is leading the Eastern prong, who will be focusing on the Golden Deer House. Annette, are you prepared?”

“I was born ready,” Annette grinned. “Well, okay no, I studied a lot, but I am prepared. Ingrid, are you ready to act as our archer bait?”

“I’ve been practicing all month,” Ingrid replied, stamping her lance on the ground. “That side of the field is nice and forested, so you should have plenty of cover while they focus on me flying around.”

“Excellent,” Dimitri nodded. “That leaves the central prong, whose focus will be taking the ballista in the middle of the field. That, of course, will be-”

“Led by me.”

The class turned towards their approaching professor, making room in their circle for her to join. She greeted them with a small nod as she made her way to Dimitri’s side.

“Wonderful timing, Professor,” the prince smiled. “Do you have anything you’d like to add before we get in our starting positions?”

Byleth looked around at everyone, her stringent gaze meeting each student’s eyes one at a time. Finally, she spoke, “You all have trained harder this past month than ever before. Trust in yourselves, and trust in the work you put in. I believe you all to do as needed. Let’s win this.”

As the rest of the class around him hollered and cheered, Dimitri winced. Though her words were meant as motivation, their sharpness grazed his cheek. His and Byleth’s official discussion about his future hadn’t gone much different than their argument the night Flayn joined the Blue Lions. Byleth had tried once again to talk about wants versus needs, and Dimitri stood by his initial answer. What was the point of discussing one’s dreams and desires when they could never be anything more than fantasy? He was a prince, and his duty was to his kingdom. When Byleth realized she was getting nowhere, she had reluctantly changed the topic to his weapons training, though an awkward air hung over the rest of the conversation.

But now wasn’t the time to falter. The trumpets sounded off as Rhea and Seteth took their positions overlooking the battlefield.

The Battle of Eagle and Lion was finally starting.

* * *

“Yield, I yield!” Caspar shouted, hands raised, as Dimitri held his lance at his opponent’s throat.

Dimitri nodded and lowered his lance. Caspar sighed, throwing his axe to the ground in a small fit as he grumbled beneath his breath. Running a hand through his hair, he stared bitterly at the prince.

“Fighting against a crest like yours is just unfair,” Caspar protested as he reluctantly collected his thrown weapon. “But I’ll keep training, and one of these days I’ll outpace you. Just you wait.”

“I look forward to it,” Dimitri replied with a confident smile as Caspar jogged off the field.

The prince took a moment of reprieve to examine how his classmates were faring. His own group was moving forward as planned. Unfortunately, they had lost Sylvain rather early, but the rest of the western forces had managed to make up for the loss. Felix and Flayn were not too far behind now, as Dimitri saw them jogging over to join him.

With Caspar now out, they were well on their way to reaching Edelgard. Dorothea and her forces were the last real hurdle before reaching the princess, though it seemed Lindhart was also hovering near them to help with recovery. Surprisingly, he did not see Hubert. Dimitri expected him to have kept as close to Edelgard as possible. They must have needed him to serve some other purpose today.

Looking out across the field, Dimitri spotted Ingrid hovering above the tree tops. Had her training over the past month truly worked, or had Claude seen through their tactics and avoided the bait? Only time would tell. It was difficult to see through the more forested areas, but there were flashes of spells shining through the trees. Hopefully Annette was leading them well.

That left the central prong. Ashe was successfully posted at the top of the ballista, and Dimitri looked up at just the right moment to watch him take out an Imperial soldier. Dedue and his battalion were posted right outside the ballista, taking care of anyone that managed to get past Ashe’s firepower.

But where was the professor?

Dimitri looked south towards where the Empire and Alliance forces initially clashed. The numbers were thinning out now, and he could just make out the back of the professor’s head as she clashed swords with Petra. Though the Brigid student looked determined, it only took a few volleys before she eventually yielded to the professor.

However, the real problem was several paces behind Byleth. Dimitri finally spotted Hubert, who was studying the professor from a distance. Once he realized she was keeping her back to him as she ran towards her next opponent, Hubert scanned the area before slinking off to a nearby thicket.

“What are you doing, boar?” Felix shouted, drawing Dimitri’s attention back to his own position on the field. Felix had finally caught up to him, with Flayn shortly behind. “Are you going to take care of Edelgard or not?”

Right. Edelgard. That was his main objective in today’s battle. His duty to his class. His real chance to demonstrate how much he had improved.

And yet, Dimitri found his eyes drifting back towards the southern conflict. Towards the ever-confident professor sprinting towards her next target as Hubert settled into his hiding spot.

“No,” Dimitri replied, turning his back to his friends. “I have somewhere else I need to be. Please take down Edelgard without me.”

And with that, he started to run. He could vaguely hear Flayn’s shouts of confusion mixed with Felix’s livid cursing as he left them behind.

Byleth was still too focused on dodging arrows in her sprint towards the last archer to notice Hubert. By the time she took down her target, she would be flat on her stomach before she even realized a spell was coming her way.

In hindsight, it was obvious. As soon as Byleth started the charge to take the ballista, the Black Eagles must have realized that she would be on protection duty once they had secured it. But with a prize for most defeated units at play, Byleth would grow impatient and strike out on her own to garner a few more wins. She had played right into Hubert’s hands.

Unless Dimitri could stop him in time.

The prince was sprinting too quickly for his battalion to keep up. It was reckless, really, and went against everything they had learned over the past six months. But he didn’t care. All he could think about, all that mattered at that moment, was taking down Hubert before he could attack Byleth. 

Dimitri’s stampeding footsteps quickly caught Hubert’s attention. Though surprised at first, he quickly changed gear, summoning a spell as Dimitri raised his lance in response.

What they had both failed to consider, however, was the mud. Just as Dimitri reached melee range of Hubert, his lance angled for attack, his foot slipped on a particularly run-down patch of field. He stumbled forward, trying to catch himself, but his momentum was too fast to stop. Upon realizing this, Hubert abandoned his summoning and started to move out of the way.

He was too slow, and Dimitri collided into him.

Both boys fell to the ground in a mess of limbs as they slid through the mud and out of the thicket. Dimitri’s lance went flying off to the side, though he closed his eyes before seeing it land.

Several agonizing seconds later, the two boys came to a stop. The prince opened his eyes again. In all the flailing, he had somehow landed on top of Hubert, who was glaring back at him.

“Are you alright?” Dimitri asked hesitantly.

“I will be when you get off of me,” Hubert jeered.

Before Dimitri could apologize or move, the tip of a sword entered his peripheral. Slowly, he turned his head to see the professor holding her sword to Hubert’s throat.

“Hubert, do you yield?” Byleth asked, her stony face staring down at the two boys.

The mage sighed, but reluctantly raised his hands as much as he could. “I yield. Now let me up.”

Dimitri finally rolled off to the side, letting Hubert lift himself off the ground. He was caked in mud. He attempted to rake some of the mud out of his hair, but quickly realized the futility of the task. His eyes then turned to Byleth, who was still holding her sword to him. The mage huffed, raising his hands once more to signal his loss. Satisfied, the professor lowered her sword and Hubert trotted away.

Dimitri sat up. Mission accomplished. Sort of. Byleth was safe, at least. 

He paused as the trumpets sounded off once more.

“That is the end of this year’s Battle of Eagle and Lion,” Seteth announced from atop the cliff. “And the winners are the Blue Lions!”

The battle was over? Though he had abandoned his duty of taking down Edelgard, it seemed he had nothing to worry about. Glancing west, Dimitri spotted Flayn and Edelgard shaking hands. Felix was a few paces away from them, a hand on his hip as he shook his head with disbelief, though it was quickly followed by a smirk. When Edelgard started to walk away, Flayn took a moment to triumphantly jump up and down.

“Need some help?”

Dimitri turned back around to find Byleth holding her hand out to him. The prince nodded, taking her hand in his as he slowly picked himself off the ground. He was absolutely covered in mud and grass. This was going to be fun to wash when they returned to the monastery.

“You saved me,” Byleth noted.

“I tried to,” Dimitri replied. “Mostly I just slid and unintentionally grappled Hubert.”

Byleth deadpanned, “Your grappling technique could use some work. I’ll see if I can talk Jeralt into giving a seminar on it.”

The two looked at each other, then broke out in smiles.

“Come on, it looks like the other house leaders are gathering,” Byleth said.

Dimitri nodded and followed her to the post battle meeting.

* * *

Though dinner at the monastery was nothing special that evening, energy soared through the food hall. 

According to Seteth, the final blow of battle had been a spell cast by Flayn. Her spell not only defeated Edelgard and granted the Blue Lions victory, but netted them enough defeats to also win the bonus prize – a blessed lance. Upon finding this out, the Blue Lion class swarmed their newest classmate, carrying her off the field despite Seteth desperately screaming at them to put her down. Not even Seteth’s persistent yelling could damper their spirits. The energy carried through the march home and into dinner, as all the students gathered together in celebration.

The three house leaders and Byleth agreed to eat together that evening. Once all the students had sat down, Claude had climbed on top of the table to give a toast, demanding Byleth and Dimitri join him atop the table. Though the two refused, they did hold up their cups and join in on the cheering that followed Claude’s speech.

Things only got rowdier after that. Annette and Mercedes had made Flayn a flower crown as congratulations for landing the winning blow, and even Edelgard came over to commend her for a job well done. Soon after Flayn was swarmed by students offering their own congratulations, and this somehow turned into Claude starting a second toast in her honor. It was somewhere between Byleth excusing herself and Sylvain insisting that the rest of the Blue Lions should also get flower crowns while Hilda countered that he was riding Flayn’s coattails that the food hall broke into a friendly pandemonium.

After finishing his food and accepting a few more congratulations, Dimitri excused himself from the dining hall. The sun was setting as he walked outside, but through his squinting, he could make out the silhouette of the professor. Byleth was standing by herself, perked over the railing as she looked out to the fishing pond below her. She stayed in place as Dimitri approached.

“Too much noise for you?” Dimitri asked, as he leaned forward on the railing beside her. 

Byleth gave him a faint smile. “I was never great with crowds. But you all deserve the fanfare after all the work you put in.”

“Only because of your wonderful leadership,” Dimitri countered.

The two stood in silence for a bit, overlooking the pond. The water appeared orange under the setting sun, fading into a dark purple. Though they could still hear the rumblings of conversation in the food hall behind them, the moment felt peaceful.

“Why’d you do it?” Byleth asked after a beat.

“Pardon?” Dimitri replied, turning to face her.

Byleth looked back at him. “At the end of the battle. Why did you save me?”

Though her expression was as impassive as ever, the warm orange light seemed to soften her features. Dimitri took a moment to soak in the view before answering.

“Because I wanted to.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was considering making Hubert land on top in honor of Bottomitri weekend, but sadly it didn't work out the way I needed it to.
> 
> Does anyone have that friend that brings up a conversation from days ago, but jumps right in where the conversation was left off with absolutely no context, leaving you to try to piece together what in the world they're talking about? I feel like Byleth would be that friend.


	7. Chapter 7

Spirits were high in the Blue Lion classroom the following week.

Even Byleth seemed swept up in the energy, albeit in her muted way. She was smiling more openly now, and more often, to the delight of her students. Of course, that didn’t stop her from assigning a test on Friday, but even that couldn’t damper the morale.

Dimitri was slightly reluctant to share this more tender side of the professor. It was a strange feeling. He was happy to see her connecting with her students more, of course. But every time her smile was directed at someone besides him, his stomach knotted. Was this wrong of him? Though he took a while, he had eventually internalized Byleth’s lesson from last moon. Instead of solely focusing on his duties as a future king, he was finally also considering his own desires. Was he not allowed a little jealousy once in a while?

The prince shook his head. He needed to stop worrying about these trivial matters and focus on his studies. Or at least that’s what he would have thought if class had started. Where was the professor? Lunch had ended a while ago. The class was seated and ready for the afternoon, but the professor was nowhere to be found. Though the students were still chattering, Dimitri noticed he wasn’t the only one glancing out the windows every so often.

The doors swung open, and the class fell silent.

Jeralt took a few steps into the room before glancing around. His expression was nearly as unreadable as his daughter’s usually was, albeit with a furrowed brow. The class stared back. A small chill crept in through the open doors, sending a small shiver through the students’ spines.

“Are you looking for the professor?” Annette asked, the first one to break the silence.

“She hasn’t arrived yet,” Mercedes added with a small frown. “But she should be here soon.”

Jeralt shook his head. “Actually, I’m here to tell you all that class is cancelled for the afternoon. Byleth isn’t feeling well. She’ll be back to teach tomorrow morning.”

“Is she alright?” Dedue asked, his posture stiffening.

“She’s okay,” Jeralt reassured him. “She’s just been overworking herself and needs some rest.”

Though he tried to sound consoling, Dimitri could hear the worry in Jeralt’s voice. The prince swallowed.

“Anyway,” Jeralt continued, “She said your test is still tomorrow, so take the extra time to study. Or don’t. It’s your time now.”

Having said his piece, Jeralt unceremoniously turned around and left the classroom, the doors slamming behind him. The class sat in silence, the news taking a moment to settle in.

“Well, that is most unfortunate,” Flayn commented after a beat. “I would go visit the professor post haste to check on her, though I am afraid that would defeat the point of it all.”

Ashe nodded thoughtfully, “Now that I think about it, she’s always bustling around even on our off days. I don’t think I’ve ever seen the professor relax. Maybe this is for the best.”

“Of course it’s for the best,” Sylvain replied, closing his books and picking them up in one fell swoop as he stood. “We could all stand to relax a bit. Now I’ll be relaxing myself all the way into town if anyone wants to join me. Otherwise, I’ll just have to find a cute girl to keep me company.”

Ingrid sighed as she too gathered her belongings. “I wanted to spend this time studying, but now I feel like I have to babysit him so we don’t cause even more strife for the professor…”

The class broke out into chatter as the room began to empty. However, Dimitri remained in his seat. His chest felt heavy as the anxiety began to creep in. The professor’s exhaustion was all his fault, was it not? Here he was trying to justify being jealous of her attentions when he was already overwhelming her. How selfish he had been taking up her nights, time she could have spent resting. She had kept insisting she was fine, but now there was clear evidence proving otherwise.

As the prince took a shaky breath, he could feel the voices from the corners of his mind creeping in. Of course it was his fault. It was always his fault. He was a disgrace. A boar. A useless waste of air. How would he ever be fit to rule a country when he couldn’t even sleep at night without using the poor professor-

“Your Highness, would you like to join us?”

Dimitri stiffened, immediately brought out of his thoughts. He looked up to see Mercedes and Annette smiling at him from a few feet away. Right. Now wasn’t the time to succumb to the voices. He needed to uphold the image of normalcy, if only for a little longer.

“My apologies, join you in what?” he asked.

“We’re going to make Get Well Soon Cookies for the professor!” Annette grinned.

Dimitri smiled politely back. “I am afraid my baking skills leave much to be desired.”

“That’s okay,” Anette replied chipperly. “Mostly we were just hoping you could mix the batter for us. Sometimes it can get a little tough.”

“Will you help us?” Mercedes added.

The prince studied his two classmates. He doubted he would be of much help, but this was as good of a distraction as any from the dark cloud hanging over him. “I will,” he nodded as he got up from his seat. “Let me put my belongings away and I will meet you there.”

* * *

“And the barrel just appeared out of nowhere!” Annette exclaimed, waving her arms around excitedly as she continued her story. “Before I knew it, I tripped, and I just know Professor Hanneman saw and was totally judging me. I was so embarrassed.”

“Oh Annie,” Mercedes laughed. “You really need to watch where you’re walking.”

Dimitri listened quietly as he finished washing the bowls. True to their word, the girls had left him in charge of stirring the batter as they measured and poured the ingredients in. He did unfortunately break the first wooden spoon within a minute of starting, but with the second spoon he fell into a rhythm while listening to Mercedes and Annette walk through the recipe. Helping them in the kitchen was surprisingly relaxing, and a good reminder that the prince needed to spend more time with his fellow students and less time in his head. While he was still worried about the professor, Annette’s antics and Mercedes’ kind laughter were enough to keep his anxious thoughts from spiraling out of control again.

Mercedes cracked opened the oven door and peeked inside. “I think this batch looks done and ready,” she announced. “That leaves one more tray. Should we start brewing the tea?”

“Yes! Definitely,” Annette nodded eagerly. She turned to Dimitri. “Your Highness, do you think we should go lavender or chamomile?”

“I believe you two would be more qualified in deciding that,” he smiled softly.

Annette shook her head. “Lavender and chamomile are both floral teas that are supposed to help with sleep. It’s really just a matter of personal taste.”

“Which would compliment the cookies more, then?” Dimitri asked.

“They’re just sugar cookies, they’re meant to let the tea shine,” Mercedes replied.

Annette grinned. “Like I said, it’s just a matter of personal taste at this point.”

They really had thought through it all. Dimitri took a moment to mull it over as he picked up the dish towel to start drying off his bowl. Lavender had that more traditional floral scent that Annette was referring to. It was light and fresh. The kind of scent that hit your nose immediately when walking into the gardens back in Faerghus, and was very popular for perfumes amongst the noble houses. Chamomile, meanwhile, reminded him more of the wild flowers he played amongst as a kid. Wild flowers that smelled almost of apples, and grew defiantly where they wanted. So defiantly, that the gardeners for the royal family were often grumbling about having to remove them from the yards surrounding his childhood home. However, there always seemed enough left for him to pick and create small bouquets to bring back to his stepmother.

“Chamomile,” he finally decided.

“Chamomile it is, then,” Mercedes smiled as she crossed the kitchen towards the tea shelves. She ran her index finger across the labels before finding the right jar and gracefully grabbing it. “This should finish brewing about the same time the cookies finish. Then once we package everything up, you can bring it all to the professor’s room, Your Highness.”

Dimitri paused. “I beg your pardon?”

The girls exchanged a look. Dimitri watched curiously as Mercedes nodded to Annette, who sighed and nodded in return before turning back to the prince.

“We have a small confession to make,” she smiled sheepishly. “We uh…sort of invited you to join us so you could deliver everything. I mean mixing the batter can be really tiring, so thank you for that, but that was really more of an excuse than anything else.”

“When Jeralt told everyone the news, you had such a dark look come over you,” Mercedes chimed in. “I know we’re supposed to leave the professor alone and let her rest, but we figured if you had a reason to go see her…”

“You will deliver everything, right, Your Highness?” Annette asked, clasping her hands together as she stared at Dimitri pleadingly.

Dimitri didn’t know what to think. Had his mask truly slipped so much? So much that his fellow students had noticed something was wrong? He would need to be more careful in the future.

However, this was a good opportunity. He could use this moment to check on the professor and then end their arrangement. She could focus on her own wellbeing, as she should have been all along, and he…well. He had dealt with his demons on his own before, and he could do it again.

“Your Highness?” Annette repeated worriedly.

“Yes,” Dimitri finally answered. “Yes, I can deliver everything.”

* * *

Of course, actually delivering the goods proved much harder than saying he would.

Dimitri hesitated as he stood outside of Byleth’s room, tray in hands. He needed to deliver everything before the tea got cold. Yet, the anxious pit in his stomach threatened to make him sick every time he worked up the courage to knock on the door. Why did he agree to this? He was the reason the professor was even in this situation to begin with, and now he was interrupting her rest even more. But if he ran off, then all of Mercedes’ and Annette’s hard work would go to waste. No, he had to do this.

Taking a deep breath, the prince shifted the tray to balance on one hand and knocked on the door.

He was met with silence at first. But just as he was deciding whether to knock a second time or give up, he heard footsteps approaching. The door opened a crack, and Byleth stuck her head out. Her hair was slightly tousled, but she looked alert. And a little surprised. Or were her eyes always that big? Suddenly he couldn’t remember anymore.

The two stared at each other until Dimitri cleared his throat. “I um…sorry to intrude. I hope I did not wake you.”

Byleth shook her head. “I wasn’t able to fall asleep. Did you need something?”

Dimitri held up the tray in his hands. “Mercedes and Annette made you cookies and tea. Well, I suppose I did help a little, but they certainly did most of the work. It is chamomile tea, to help you rest.”

The professor studied the tray before looking back up at him. “Would you like to come in?” she asked, opening the door wider.

Dimitri paused. Should he really be going into his professor’s bedroom? It seemed so…intimate. No, he was being ridiculous. She had been in his quarters countless times now, so how was this any different? He should just head in. Right on in. Any moment now.

Byleth poked her head back around, face expressionless minus a single raised eyebrow. “Or do you not want to come in?”

“My apologies. I am coming,” Dimitri replied hastily, pushing his anxiety down as he stepped inside.

Dimitri took a look around as Byleth shut the door behind him. The room looked much like the students’ rooms, but with a gray carpet and significantly larger bulletin board. It was also quite barren. The only real belongings she had out were a pile of books stacked against the back wall, and some papers spread out on her desk. Everything else was meticulously clean and put away, minus the disheveled sheets on her bed. Or did she just not have many belongings to begin with? He could see either being true for the mercenary-turned-teacher.

Byleth ran a hand through her hair, combing out a few knots as she looked around. It was only then that Dimitri realized she was down to her shorts and undershirt. It made sense, seeing as she had just been attempting to nap, but the sight had his cheeks suddenly feeling rather warm. He tried reminding himself that she had seen him in his nightwear several times now, but it didn’t help much.

Her eyes finally settled on her nightstand. The professor promptly picked it up and carried it to the center of the room before placing it back down. She paused, studying her work, before dragging it a little closer to her bed. “You can put it down here. And you can use the chair. I’ll sit on my bed,” she instructed.

“Oh, that is quite alright. I was only dropping this off for you,” Dimitri insisted.

Byleth paused by the chair. “But you have two teacups.”

The prince looked down at the tray. Sure enough, he did have two teacups. The girls must have snuck that in while he was busy figuring out what to say to the professor when he finally saw her.

“I suppose you have me there,” he conceded and placed the tray down on the nightstand.

Satisfied, Byleth pushed the chair over before taking a seat on her bed. Dimitri adjusted the chair and sat down as Byleth grabbed the lid of the teapot. She lifted it slightly, bending down to inhale the scent deeply. A content smile spread across her face, and she replaced the lid.

Dimitri studied her as she poured the tea. She didn’t seem much different than usual. No particularly big bags under her eyes. Maybe a little paler than usual? Or was that just the lighting in the room? The prince glanced over at the windows. It was late afternoon now, which meant the sun was already starting to set this time of year. Since Byleth had been trying to sleep before, she hadn’t lit any candles, and the room was growing dark. Could darkness make someone look paler? Somehow that didn’t feel right.

“You have something to say.”

Her words were not a question, but a statement. Dimitri turned back towards the table. Byleth was staring at him with the same eyes from when she first greeted him.

“What makes you say that?” he asked with a forced, polite smile.

Apparently Byleth didn’t like the response, as her eyebrows furrowed. The two stared at each other for a moment before she broke it off to grab a cookie.

Even still, the silence was deafening. Dimitri sighed, dropping the act. “This is all my fault,” he finally said.

“What’s your fault?”

“All of this,” he replied, gesturing towards her. “Everyone…says you are over-working yourself. You have not been getting enough rest while looking after me, and now you are collapsing in the middle of the day.”

Byleth stared at him silently for a moment. The ashamed prince looked down, avoiding her eye contact as he took a sip of tea.

“Why are you so quick to blame yourself?” she asked after a beat.

“Pardon?” Dimitri replied.

The professor sighed. “You need to get out of your head. I’m not over-worked. I was perfectly fine until it happened.” She paused, bringing a hand over her heart. “We were talking, then something in my chest just…and suddenly I was dizzy. Next thing I know, I hit the ground. I didn’t know what it was. I still don’t. So when Jeralt told me to go back to my room and rest, I did.”

Dimitri looked back up. The professor had a surprisingly vulnerable look as she gripped her shirt, eyes glued to the table.

“How did it feel?” he asked.

Byleth held onto her shirt thoughtfully. “There was a pressure. Like something was trying to burst out of me.” Looking uncomfortable, she let go of her shirt and wrapped her hands around her tea cup, taking a moment to appreciate the radiating warmth before continuing. “Then suddenly my body felt heavy, but my head felt light.”

“As if your heart was racing?”

The professor stared at him blankly.

Not sure how to interpret her response, Dimitri tried to clarify. “Such as when you are nervous, or excited, and your thoughts are moving so quickly that your heart beat tries to catch up. So quickly, even, that the rush to your head proves too much. Is that how it felt?”

Byleth lowered her eyes as she mulled over his explanation. Not knowing what to do, Dimitri took another sip of tea. Had Byleth never been nervous before? He didn’t mean for his questions to be difficult to answer.

“How about what you were doing beforehand? You mentioned discussing something?” he added, hoping the slight change in topic would help her along.

It seemed to work, as her eyes came back up to him. “Jeralt and I had just finished talking to Manuela and Shamir about Remire Village.”

“Remire Village,” Dimitri repeated thoughtfully. “That is the town where you and I met.”

Byleth smiled softly. “It is.”

“But why were you all discussing this?”

Her smile faded. “There’s been some strange phenomenon there of late.”

Dimitri frowned. “We need to look into this, then.”

“Actually, that’s our-” Byleth began, but stopped halfway through. She stared at the prince curiously for a moment before asking, “What makes you say that?”

“We owe the people of Remire,” Dimitri replied. “You said before that you and Sir Jeralt used to go there often, did you not? And if not for that, well, you would not have been there that fateful night. And we would have never…”

The prince let the sentence die off before he could further shove his foot in his mouth. If the professor had never been nervous, the prince was certainly anxious enough for the both of them.

Byleth’s lips parted to respond, but she paused. She grimaced as she tilted her head forward, bringing her hands up to her chest.

“Professor?” Dimitri stammered, jumping to his feet.

His knee hit the nightstand as he stood up. The tray shifted, knocking Byleth’s tea cup into her lap. She winced as the hot tea spilled on her thighs, and the cup fell to the floor with a thud.

Now he had really done it. Dimitri quickly grabbed one of the cloth napkins and ran to Byleth’s side. He kneeled beside her, lightly dabbing the tea off her knees. He wiped in small circles, carefully working his way up her thighs until he brushed against the cuff of her shorts. Realizing the position he was in, Dimitri hesitated, hand shakily hovering over his professor’s lap as he slowly looked up.

Byleth was looking back down at him, her face only inches away. The prince was transfixed. She was close enough that he could feel her breath on his cheek. His limbs felt heavy. Even if he wanted to move, he had turned to stone under her gaze.

A few drops of tea dripped from the bed frame and onto the floor. Although the sound was faint, it was enough to break the spell.

“Here,” Dimitri stuttered out, hastily backing up and holding out the napkin for her to take. “My apologies, I was not thinking clearly.”

Byleth accepted the napkin, and their hands brushed lightly. She finished the job he had started, dabbing at her shorts as best she could.

Dimitri stood back up, brushing his pant legs off before peering over at the nightstand. Cookies and crumbs had spread out, but the teapot hadn’t been knocked over. He lamented, “I am so sorry, Professor. I should probably leave. I just-”

“Dimitri.”

Every time. He immediately stopped, looking away from the table and back to Byleth as she looked up at him.

“I’m alright,” she said softly. “Please don’t leave yet.”

Once again, he was frozen in place under her gaze. After a beat, Dimitri sighed and nodded defeatedly. “Can I at least go get you another cup?”

Byleth picked her tea cup off the ground, wiping the stray tea droplets off with her napkin before placing it back on the nightstand. “This one is fine,” she replied. “But there is one favor you can do for me.”

“And what would that be?” the prince asked as he made his way back to his seat.

“Next time you think I’m overworking myself, talk to me before taking it out on yourself?” Byleth suggested. She took a moment to look at him sincerely before pouring herself more tea. “Though I wouldn’t mind another tea time to go along with said talk.”

Dimitri watched the professor as she added milk and sugar, a smile crossing his face despite himself. “Professor, if we have tea every time you work too hard, it will become a daily activity.”

“Then tomorrow I request honey instead of sugar for the chamomile tea,” Byleth responded promptly.

The two met eyes.

“I cannot tell if you are being serious,” Dimitri stated.

“I guess we’ll find out tomorrow,” Byleth mused.

They shared another look until Byleth broke into a small grin.

Dimitri sighed, shaking his head. “Very well, Professor. I will give you an honest talking to when I feel you have overworked yourself, if you promise me that you will see Manuela after we finish this tea. Nearly fainting a second time cannot be a good sign.”

Byleth nodded as she held up her tea cup to him. “I can drink to that.”

She looked at him expectantly until he too held up his tea cup, which she happily clacked her own against, spilling a few drops of tea. Dimitri winced at the sound of good china clattering together, but the professor seemed perfectly content to take a large swig of the extremely hot beverage.

At least she was feeling better.

Dimitri took a slower sip of his own drink before setting the cup carefully back onto the table. “So. What was this about Remire Village now?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remire Village? wHaT cOuLd PoSsIbLy Go WrOnG?


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning - if descriptions of panic attacks make you uncomfortable, tread carefully in the first part.

Remire Village was a bloodbath.

Dimitri shut his bedroom door and leaned against it. His uniform was a mess. He was covered head to toe in dirt and blood, and everything smelled of smoke. No doubt he should be grabbing some fresh clothes and heading for the baths. However, he couldn’t bring himself to move. His feet felt glued to the floor as his chest seized up, tightening so much that he could hardly get a breath in. He closed his eyes and lowered his head, trying to calm his agitated heart whose fluttering was making his head swim. Bangs fell over his eyes, but he paid them no mind as he focused on his breathing.

He hadn’t seen a massacre like that since Duscur four years ago.

The entire horizon was ablaze as fires quickly spread across town. Villagers either succumbed to Solon’s mysterious dark magic, or desperately tried to escape. Both sides let out blood curdling screams that echoed through the wreckage. The confused and contorted faces of those who lost their lives at the hands of their infected loved ones felt permanently etched into his eyelids.

Deep breath in, slow breath out. Still his heart wouldn’t slow. The prince slid down against the door until he hit the floor. What little relief he felt from the cold stone beneath him was quickly muffled by his racing thoughts.

Something awoke inside him at the sight of the village that morning. The dark, ugly side of him he had been fighting so desperately the past four years was resurfacing. He had spent so long trying to push it down and away from the light. Shoving it behind a door, keeping it under lock and key. It belonged in the darkest recesses of his heart, away where no one could ever see it. No one _should_ have to see it.

Especially not the professor.

He had apologized to Byleth shortly after they returned to the monastery. For his behavior, for endangering the other students because of his ineptitude. Somehow his apology morphed into a monologue about his past, about watching those he loved die in front of him in a sudden attack that left a city in ruins.

She had listened to him so patiently. He could tell how crazed his ramblings must have sounded, but the words had poured out of him before he could stop it. And she listened. She didn’t turn away, or regard him with disgust. She listened to every word, every syllable, staring past his eyes and into his very depths before he crumbled under the pressure and left.

It had been too much. Looking into her eyes had felt like staring into the sun, and the intensity nearly blinded him. If he had looked even a moment longer, he would have broken down. He would have told her everything. Would she have continued to listen? Or would she too shun him?

Part of him wanted to know, but the rest of him was too afraid to find out. He had grown so dependent on her. Not just in the classroom and on the battlefield anymore. No, her time beside him at night over the past few moons had become a lifeline from the nightmares. He couldn’t risk dragging her down into the darkness with him.

He truly was a fool.

Deep breath in, slow breath out. Still his heart refused to slow. His whole body was trembling, and his brain couldn’t slow down. His focus was obliterated, his thoughts spiraling down faster than he could keep up with. He leaned his elbows on his knees and held his head. He wanted to puke. He wanted to sob. He wanted his heart to burst like it was threatening to and finally put him out of his misery. At least then he could finally escape the voices and nightmares for good.

Deep breath in, slow breath out.

He needed to control this. Or at least get a semblance of control over his own body again. If he couldn’t focus on individual thoughts, at the very least he could try to shift the direction away from Duscur and Remire. And so, Dimitri took another breath and thought of the professor. Entire memories were too much to grab onto, so instead he tried brief, distinct moments. The worried look she gave him under the moonlight in the greenhouse all those nights ago. The feeling of her hand in his that very first time. The way she chuckled after falling asleep in his room and nearly getting caught. The smell of the chamomile tea they drank together in her room.

The way she looked at him so earnestly as he apologized earlier that evening, despite having dealt with her own horrors that day.

Slowly, his heart started to calm. The cloud of dread began to lift, and Dimitri cautiously opened his eyes as he raised his head. The room was cold, dark, and still. No footsteps in the hallway, no chatter from outside. How long had he been sitting there? Minutes? Hours? 

When his heart returned to a normal pace, he carefully stood up. Something fell from his uniform as he moved, and in the darkness, he couldn’t tell if it was dried up mud or blood. It was probably for the best he didn’t find out. He needed to bathe. Taking one last deep breath, the prince finally walked to his dresser, retrieving some nightwear and toiletries before leaving the room.

* * *

Dimitri wasn’t sure if he felt better after the bath, but he was at least clean. His uniform was still a wreck, but he would deal with that later. For now, he needed to get some sleep.

He was exhausted. And yet, when he returned to his room, he found himself lighting a few candles. Was he afraid of what he would see when he fell asleep? Or did he simply need a small reprieve from the darkness that had surrounded him all day? He was too tired to decide. After finishing, the prince staggered over to his bed and threw himself on top of the sheets.

That was a bad idea. He wasn’t going to have the energy to get back up and blow the candles out. He barely had the energy to keep his eyes open. Well, if he was exhausted enough to fall asleep with them still lit, the candles could simply burn through the night.

As Dimitri drifted in and out of consciousness, a crisp knock jolted him awake.

The knock was on the window. The prince had learned over time how to differentiate it from a door knock. And there was only one person daft enough to enter through the window.

Dimitri sat up, despite every muscle in his body screaming at him to stop, and crossed the room. As he pushed the curtains to the side, he was greeted with the ever-impassive face that had been on his mind all evening. They stared at each other, Dimitri’s fingertips grazing the glass before he opened the window.

“We have a rule about nights following a big battle,” Dimitri chided her with a small smile.

“I know,” she admitted. “May I come in anyway?”

Dimitri nodded, stepping wordlessly to the side as Byleth pulled herself through the window frame. He watched as she closed and locked the window behind her. However, instead of falling into her usual rhythm of walking over to his desk to grab the chair, she stayed with her back to the wall, studying him curiously.

“You look exhausted,” she stated.

“I feel exhausted,” the prince agreed. “How are you fairing?”

She looked towards the ground. “I don’t know.”

Byleth wrapped her arms around herself, and Dimitri noticed she was still wearing her arm guards. Something was off.

Without a second thought, the prince grabbed his desk chair, bringing it to the side of his bed and gesturing for the professor to sit. She seemed hesitant, but eventually walked over and sat down. Dimitri followed and sat on his bed, taking her hand in his.

“I am the least qualified person to help you understand your feelings,” Dimitri admitted, “But I can at least listen.”

She didn’t respond at first, taking another moment to study him. “What am I supposed to say?”

The prince gave the most reassuring smile he could muster. “Whatever happens to be on your mind.”

She stared silently at him a little longer, then wrapped her fingers around his. Her shoulders relaxed, and she nodded.

“The first time we went to Remire,” Byleth started, “We had just gotten out of the Oghma Mountains and needed to stop for the night. It was snowing, so Jeralt brought us into town and found the nearest tavern that had enough room for the lot of us. Once they settled on rooms, he and the mercenaries proceeded to drink like they usually did.”

She paused in her story, turning her gaze toward the window as she squeezed Dimitri’s hand. Dimitri silently watched how the candlelight reflected on her face as she moved.

“The tavern was owned by a couple, and the wife was shocked to see a small kid sitting amongst the loud, burly men. She started yelling at them for being no-good drunks and terrible role models before dragging me into the kitchen. There she sat me down and made me a bowl of soup, all while complaining about the nerve of mercenary men.

“Once she gave me the soup, though, she calmed down a bit. At first, she tried asking me questions about myself. But I wasn’t much of a talker, and just ate silently. Instead of getting mad at me for not saying anything like most strangers did, she just started talking about her own life. About growing up in a merchant family and falling in love with a tavern owner’s son. About fighting with her family when she refused to take over the family business before running off to elope. About their daughter that was accepted as an apprentice to help run the opera house in Enbarr and how they scraped together every piece of gold they could to pay for it. She was especially proud of their daughter. Her eyes always shone the most when she talked about her.”

Byleth paused again. Though her face looked calm, her hand was trembling. Dimitri instinctively brought his second hand over to enwrap hers. This surprised her, but she slowly relaxed and squeezed his hand again.

“I guess Jeralt got along with her husband, because we started staying there whenever we were in the area. And each time, no matter how old I was, the wife would always yank me into the kitchen and fetch me something to eat while updating me on how things were going. How business was doing. How her daughter was fairing. Stuff like that.

“The last time I was there, during the Great Tree Moon just before you and the others arrived, she had the most excited smile. Her daughter was engaged to someone she met in the capital. A baker, I think. After talking it over with her husband, they had decided to retire at the end of the year and move to Enbarr to be with their daughter. She said she regretted not staying in touch with her family after she ran off to get married, and she didn’t want to continue that cycle.”

Byleth’s words drifted off again as she stared at the floor. The two sat in silence as she processed what she wanted to say next. Dimitri rubbed his thumb across the back of her hand. Though Byleth didn’t look up, she tightened her hand around his.

“After the battle today, I checked the remains of what used to be the tavern. Their bodies were completely charred, so I’m not sure how they met their demise. They were together, at least. Though a little longer and they would have been together with their daughter, far away from that town.”

Her tale now finished, Byleth looked up at Dimitri. “I’ve seen death all my life, but…I’m still not really sure how I’m feeling. I can’t remember her name. I don’t even think I ever spoke a word to the woman. And in the grand scheme of things, we were in each other’s lives for such a small amount of time. But…I don’t know. I don’t know what it is I’m feeling.”

She seemed to be searching for something as she looked at him. The longer she stared at him with that confused and yearning expression, the tighter Dimitri’s chest felt. The feeling from earlier that evening was creeping in again. He was beginning to break down. He let go of her hand, leaning forward and wrapping his arms around her shoulders.

“Dimitri?” she asked, her body tensing.

“I am afraid I have no answers for you,” he replied. “But you are welcome to stay here as long as you need to.”

Byleth nodded, and she slowly relaxed into the hug as she brought her arms up around him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know, I always say Dimileth is my OTP, but my real OTP is "Everyone in Fódlan x Therapy".
> 
> So. A darker than normal chapter this time. 
> 
> Everyone responds to stress and grief differently. And that's okay. Sobbing it out is no more or less valid than withdrawing into your thoughts. Don't let anyone ever tell you otherwise. 
> 
> The important part is to process it so you can learn and grow.


End file.
